Lush Life is a tale of two Lower East Sides: one a high-priced bohemia, the other a home to hardship, it's residents pushed to the edges of their time-honored turf. When a cocky young hipster is shot to death by a street kid from the "other" lower east side, the crime ripples through every stratum of the city in this brilliant and kaleidiscopic portrait of the "new" New York.

Set in 2002 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Price's latest novel is a fast-paced tale of life in urban America. The fatal shooting of Ike Marcus, bartender at a fancy restaurant, turns out to be a tough case for detectives Matty Clark and Yolonda Bello. Their first suspect is Ike's friend, Eric Cash, an aspiring writer who managed the restaurant where Ike worked, and who witnessed the murder. Eric claims that a pair of muggers committed the crimea story that conflicts with accounts provided by others who saw the shooting. Through the detectives' questioning of Eric, the stories of the accusedTristan Acevedo and Little Dap Williams, two teens from a housing projectare introduced into the narrative. Price skillfully weaves their backgrounds into the fabric of the story, creating a searing portrait of their lives and adding an extra layer to the narrative. As Ike's distraught father, Billy, hassles the police, who are short on clues, the novel races toward an unforgettable conclusion. Gritty yet poetic, dynamic yet thoughtfully composed, this is a brisk, thrilling narrative that features pitch-perfect, street-smart dialogue and taught suspense. As usual with Price, the best-selling author of Clockers and Freedomland, there's never a dull moment.

A reading group guide is available online at picadorusa.com.

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